What Should Have Been
by AkuBeku
Summary: If Trisha hadn't of died, they would have been a proper family. (Slight AU, mentions of EdWin. MAJOR Papa HoHo)


**Ok this is kind of AU**

**Umm… well it's basically what Hohenheim expected to happen and what would have happened had Trisha never died, regarding the Promised Day and all.**

**Also, I just need to explain the sacrifices (Because, of course, Ed and Al didn't perform Human Transmutation), Izumi's there, because of her son, there's Roy because I think they'd still want to use him (And I think that he was still forced because he did catch Riza's signal in this version, too. And May still came because she still would have ended up in all that, searching for immortality and all. Oh, and Hughes is alive because there was no Lab 5 case, so he wouldn't have been researching stuff). Marcoh's there because he was once a candidate, having performed Human Transmutation on the Ishvalans, and then there's Scar. I dunno, I guess under Envy's influence (As like, an Ishvalan or something? They were running out of candidates, ok?), he got his left arm tattooed and tried to bring his brother back. And then… sacrifice. And, of course, there's Hohenheim.**

**Disclaimer: FMA belong to Arakawa-sensei! And I'm not a bespectacled cow!**

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Van Hohenheim was finally finished. His rebuttal transmutation circle was completed and the Promised Day had passed.

It was terrifying, though. The old man was stuck _inside_ the Dwarf in the Flask (Though that name didn't suit him anymore), he could only look out at the four other sacrifices: A middle-aged woman with black hair that looked familiar (Ah, yes, he had met her twice before and had just _known_ what she had done. Her husband had tried to kill him when he reorganised her organs), a military officer (Hohenheim recalled him to be named Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist), an old man named Marcoh and an Ishvalan monk with a scar on his face and tattoos on both of his arms (Van recognised both his Alkahestry and Father's Alchemy worked into the tattoos and wondered who had made them, for they were truly spectacular).

When Father's transmutation circle activated, there was a split second of fear in which Hohenheim thought he had miscalculated. The eclipses' shadow should be in place, _everyone should be coming back to life!_

But there was nothing…

_Nothing…_

_Trisha…_

_Edward…_

_Alphonse…_

Hohenheim thought of the people back in Resembool. They would be dead. Lifeless. And it was his fault.

And then he felt energy flowing through him, and he grinned. _This is it! I wasn't wrong! Everything's in place!_

All the souls of the Amestrians returned to their bodies.

Perfect! Now all that needed to be done was to take down Father!

The five sacrifices had combined forces with amazing ability. Even though he only knew two of them by name, Hohenheim felt a friendship brewing between them all and, by the time the day was drawing to an end, Father was defeated.

It was one week later that the old man returned to Resembool.

He had been past his house many times. He never went in; never let himself be seen, because he knew that if he went back, he wouldn't be able to leave again.

But now, he was home. For good. He would never leave them again.

And more good news, the philosopher's stone that once bled power through Hohenheim. There was only the whispers of one voice left. Tommy, the young boy that wanted to be a scholar. His quite voice sounded out and seemed to echo in the head that was once clouded with voices.

"Where is everyone, Hohenheim? Why… why am I alone?"

"I'm sorry, Tommy… they're all gone… I had to use them to protect Amestris."

"Well… that's okay… at least they aren't in Father. Thank you, Hohenheim. You've been kind to us."

Hohenheim chuckled, then stopped in his path. He was in shade, the shade of the tree in front of his house.

His _home_.

Taking slow, small steps, the old alchemist ascended the front stairs, and then reached a large hand up and knocked on the front door.

A minute passed…

Two…

And then a teenager, no, a young man opened the door.

"Edward…?"

"Hohenheim? You're… you're back…"

"Yes, son. I'm back. And I'm not leaving again, I promise."

There was a long silence between the two, before, "Took you long enough, dammit!" Ed lashed out and punched his father, hard, across the face and then stood back, glaring.

"Ed, dear, who is it?" That voice, oh god, that voice. Like heaven on earth. A voice far more sweet than a monster like him deserved.

"It's… it's Hohenheim" Ed called over his shoulder "… he's… dad's home!"

Then so many things happened at once, Trisha came running out of the kitchen, eyes wide and full of tears, before running up to her husband, "I knew you'd return!", a boy that looked just like Ed, but wide kinder eyes and shorter hair, came from upstairs "Dad! You're back! I _told_ you, brother!" and Edward… he reached a hand out, his right hand (The one he had punched Van with earlier), and waited for Hohenheim to take it, before shaking it.

A truce. One that the old man definitely didn't deserve.

A feast was held that night. The Rockbells were invited over and old lady Pinako had punched Hohenheim almost as hard as Edward had. They all cried over the loss of Sara and Urey, all laughed at recollections of Pinako and Van's old drinking stories and all gave three cheers for Winry getting a job in Rush Valley.

Hohenheim was kissed by Trisha and hugged by Alphonse more times than he could count. And instead of hugging his father, the alchemist noticed that Edward had taken to putting his hand on Al's head a few times, then looking at Hohenheim, as if to say 'He's looked up to me for twelve years. _Beat that._'

It wasn't until late into the night that the other family left. Pinako giving Hohenheim and fond punch and Winry hugging him, smiling kindly (She then hugged Edward too, and Hohenheim found himself questioning if they were really 'just friends').

Edward and Alphonse headed off to bed not too long after that and Van decided he'd tell them all the stories of his travels in due time. But this time, it was for Trisha.

They didn't do much, really. Trisha made apple pie and they sat and ate it and Trisha asked if Hohenheim had made any friends and Van told her of his travels. They spent the night tuning up some of the details before they'd tell their sons (Some things should stay between them) and ended up falling asleep together, Trisha's head on Hohenheim's lap and crumbs covering both of them.

Hohenheim had no nightmares, which was a nice change.

He dreamt of his sons growing up and found himself looking forward to the stories that they would tell him.

Those stories, even if they're boring and slow and of no value to them, would mean a lot more to Hohenheim than the story of the Promised Day.

Because they were _alive_. There was a moment when Van Hohenheim was never going to hear those stories because those souls were packed inside of Father.

But now they were back, and _he _was back.

And he was _never_ leaving again.

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**I just really love Papa HoHo, ok?**

**Ok honestly this is kinda corny but I just...**

**Hughes was alive...**

**And like so was Trisha...**

**The only shame is that AlMay just isn't so any more...**

**Ah well, Trishenheim is a thing, so I'll manage**

**Sacrificed one OTP for another. Equivalent Exchange.**

**Anyways, please review! And thank you very much for reading *bows***


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